A 4km marathon, the 11th edition of the annual Terry Fox Run, was organised at The American International School Muscat (TAISM), in which nearly 1,000 people, including students, teachers ,and parents took part.

The event was held in honour of late Terry Fox, who inspired the world by initiating a nationwide marathon in Canada after losing his leg to cancer in the 1980s.

Laura MacDonald, organiser of the event and a health teacher at TAISM, who has been at the forefront of organising the Terry Fox Run, said the event aims at not only raising funds for cancer research but also at educating students about the importance of giving back to society, helping others, and becoming better people.

“It’s such a meaningful and special event for our community, to learn about the amazing study at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) that’s helping to save the lives of Omani children,” MacDonald said. The fundraiser has been serving as a great support system for children’s cancer research conducted at SQU, under the head of Paediatric Oncology, Dr. Zakiya Al Lamki, who is a role model and a hero to many children suffering from cancer. She has contributed significantly to improving cancer treatments in the Sultanate.

With the support of the funds raised from Terry Fox Run, the department of Child Health at SQU has dived into a project titled “Building Excellence in Clinical Diagnostic and Epidemiology of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in Oman”.

The money raised at the marathon pays for computers, software, and training costs for this very specialised field in the hope for a better, cancer-free future. For this year’s run, the theme was courage.

Some of the activities included head-shaving and hair-donating for students to stand in solidarity with cancer patients, as well as selling “courage” stickers, T-shirts, lemonade, and indulging in an educational activity. The unique activity served as a bonding experience for participants. Students who were seven years apart were paired to learn about courage and helping others. The activity aimed at bringing students together for a good cause.

The event raised a total of OMR5,500, which will go to SQU for cancer research.

“We love Oman. We want to give back to this amazing country,” MacDonald said, adding, “We must look up to heroes such as Dr Zakiya and Terry, who dedicate their lives to helping others.” — [email protected]